MA and PhD Distinctive Features in Human Science

An agile, interdisciplinary program

Examine the human experience from a cross-cultural perspective that honors the diverse ways of knowing and being that different peoples have developed over time. Study the things that matter, in the way you think is most effective, while earning your post-graduate degree in Human Science in the School of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Inquiry.

Our graduate courses in Human Science start with the understanding that there is no single privileged position on how people think, act, believe, or feel; there is no one “right answer.” Every aspect of the human experience can be explored in a way that places the human experience first, not second, to an academic discipline, perspective, or theory.

Understand cultural blind spots

Human Science is interdisciplinary, with an appreciation for diverse perspectives. Most practitioners seek to better understand and critique dominant cultures and have a strong interest in being change agents. Graduates have studied such diverse topics as:

gender and violence

alternative health

popular media and culture

technology and society

globalism and decolonization

peace studies

architecture

the meaning of sports

bioethics and race

justice and equality

challenges of disability

religious values in relation to social change

spirituality and healthcare

The program grounds you firmly in the traditions of a humanistic education, while selecting your own corner of the world to study, engage, and support.

Saybrook Podcasts

JoAnn McAllister - The Human Science Approach

JoAnn McAllister

The things that make us human are often the hardest to quantify. So how do we study things like culture, love, or our relationship to the environment in a rigorous manner without reducing them down to the things we can put in a formula? Dr. JoAnn McAllister says that's what the field of Human Science is to do: help us study the world without reducing it.

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Meet Our Community

"The thing that seemed really great about Saybrook was the ability to be transdisciplinary: to have a clear vision of what you want to do and to pursue it, even if traditional disciplines have failed to address that issue."